'The seventh day of Messis, 1280 HE (Humanity Era)
Today marks my twentieth birthday, and therefore, my journey shall start.
First, if you're reading this, it means this is our first meeting. My name is Gyanav Regio, and I live here in the city of Veliky; a crime-ridden city at the edge of the Union of Stroganov, a massive country with diverse landscapes. Although the country can be considered developed, not all of its cities are the safest to live in, especially in this time and age.
Although my appearance is human, I'm not actually of the human race. My race is a dying one called Caeco, or some people call them the 'cursed' people. It's because of our distinctive red eyes, that I'm covering with brown contact lenses that I never take off except while sleeping.
Another reason why our race is called that is because of our blood that is green instead of red, like a normal human's. Our green blood also possesses a strange quality of being corrosive, albeit not lethal in a small dose. That very same fact has caused our race to be hunted down and our blood harvested for heinous purposes. That's why I must remain in disguise.
My goal is to save up enough money and leave this city, to move to the capital, or at least one of the bigger cities, where safety for all races is guaranteed. At least that's what they said. Here in Veliky, besides the occasional monster spawning in the middle of the city, I must also be wary of poachers, who will not miss the chance to capture me once they know I'm a Caeco.
Enough about the depressing stuff. I should continue with my introduction.
If you're reading this journal, it would make it easier for you to visualize me, the author if I give you my description.
I'm rather tall, 180 cm in height to be precise. The margin of error is 1 centimeter perhaps. I've been training hard all this time, so my body is not in a bad condition, at least that's what I can say. I weigh 70 kg and my body is toned. I belong to the agile type instead of the strength one, that's what I can conclude after my training at the gymnasium.
My skin tone is luckily fair enough to disguise as a real human. Most Caecos have a distinguishably dark skin tone that makes it difficult for them to blend in. It's not just dark like a tan human, but dark with a purplish hue that easily gives away their real identity.
Next up, is my appearance, I guess. My hair is curly, light brown in color. I always try to keep it short, otherwise, it will become too messy and not manageable. My nose is like a typical Caeco, long and sharp. Luckily, a lot of humans also have long, sharp noses like us so it's not very eye-catching.
A lot of Caecos have abnormally sharp teeth like those of a sea devourer fish. That's why a lot of Caeco parents would put braces on their children's teeth from a young age, including mine. My teeth look normal now.
I live in an apartment here in Veliky, with a yearly rent of four silva. It's cheap, but it's all I can afford with my parents' inheritance.
I don't live here alone. I have my trusted companion, Alfie, a golden retriever. He is sitting right next to me as I'm writing this with his tongue sticking out. His eyes are looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to finish writing so I can go with him to the temple.
Alfie is still young, only two years of age. His full name is Alfonsus Herodotus III. He is the only surviving puppy of the litter, that's why he gets to keep his title. His parents are both gone, just like my parents. Alfie's parents died last year while mine, five years ago. We only have each other, that's why we're so close.
"Woof Woof!!"
He just barked! It's just as if he could know that I'm writing about him. He is now walking in a circle while wagging his long tail. He's impatient but I really need to finish this entry of my journal before going to the temple.
So, the temple. It's a place where every citizen can go to and try to receive their first-tier Vocation at the age of twenty. Everybody is eligible to go, and it's free of charge, thanks to the government, although not everybody will receive one. Everything is decided by the Gods and Goddesses above, and we mortals can only accept the decision. After receiving their Vocation, they can then start to work based on their given Vocation in order to serve society.
The Vocations are separated into tiers, and only the information on the most common first tier is readily available for the masses. Based on what I've read, the most common Vocations are Warriors, Thieves, Magicians, Clerics, and Guardians. There are other, more uncommon ones, but the information is not available. However, I've seen quite a lot, like Pyromancer, Stonemason, Miner, and so on.
Since Vocations are not granted to just anybody, those receiving one, called Vocators here in the Union, are highly respected by the public. However, it also creates a kind of gap in the society, where those normal people become jealous of those with Vocations. Some Vocators are also abusing their power for their own greed. Luckily, the Union has a law enforcer called the Constables. However, being the out of the bound city like Veliky, their power is not as strong here.
Anyway, I think that's enough background information about me, so I'd be pleased for you to join me on my journey. Currently, my goal is, as I stated before, to save up enough money and leave this city. For that, I will need to get a good Vocation. My ultimate goal in life is bigger than that, though, although it might sound rather embarrassing.
I wish to bring back my race to its former glory. In the past, we Caeco and humans lived side by side in harmony, according to my parents' many stories. My mother, especially, would tell me stories from the past about how both races could coexist without any bloodshed between them and how she longed for life to return that way. She also told me to treat humans kindly despite their treatment of us, because not all humans want to hunt us down.
Although I can see where she's coming from, I still have to be on guard 24/7 or I'll end up in a test tube.
Now with that out of the way, let's finish this journal entry for now and go to the temple. Alfie has been waiting impatiently over there.'
The tall young man stood up after placing the pen neatly next to the closed journal. The cover of the book featured a pair of wings and a broken shackle, symbolizing his longing for freedom.
The morning sunlight pierced through the thin white curtain, hitting the man's face and casting its warmth upon his skin. His brown eyes were glimmering with excitement, although there was a slight hint of nervousness hidden there.
"Woof! Woof!!"
Alfie, the golden retriever, was walking about the small bedroom impatiently. The wooden floorboards creaked under his weight, but he was a dog and he didn't care about it. He seemed to only want to get out right away.
Gyanav gave his dog a smile and put on a hat to cover his curly brown hair. It was the month of Messis, so the temperature was relatively pleasant; not too hot and not too cold. The young man didn't have to put on a coat because of that.
"Let's go, Alfie," he squatted down and put on his dog's leash.
The golden retriever obediently stayed still while his master was doing so. He knew that it was the only way he would be allowed outside.
Once the leash was firmly secured, Gyanav grabbed the other end and left the small bedroom, which led directly to the corridor of the three-story apartment. Pipes were the dominant sight in that corridor, as they provided warm steams when the temperature was too cold. However, the landlord was often too stingy to turn on the steams, so they were mostly just decoration.
The young man and his dog walked carefully across the creaky floorboards, making their way to the other end in a jiffy.
"If I have enough money, I promise to rent a bigger apartment so you can play more comfortably inside,"
"Woof!" the dog barked happily, although he didn't understand what his master had said. He just liked hearing his master's voice.
At the end of the corridor near the staircase, a door was opened and a woman that looked to be in her late twenties came out. She smiled warmly at Gyanav and waved at Alfie.
"Going to the temple? I hope you will get a Vocation," the woman's voice was warm like the sun, and the smile on her face was genuine. There was no sign of jealousy in her tone.
"Yes, Hannah. I hope so too, right, Alfie?" Gyanav smiled back politely at her.
"Woof!"
"Are you going to try as well, Alfie? I'm sure you can make a great Barkmaster," she squatted and gave the golden retriever a face scratch.
"Woof!" Alfie barked happily.
"I'm sure he'll just be a Sleepmaster," Gyanav interjected jokingly.
The golden retriever looked at his master and smiled with his tongue out. He didn't understand what his master meant, but it sounded exciting. His tail was wagging non-stop.
"Or that, haha," Hannah laughed.
"Gotta go now, Hannah. Catch you later," Gyanav bid goodbye to her. He was already looking forward to going to the temple, so it was the only thing he had in his mind right now.
"See you two later!" she waved her hand as the two ran downstairs like the wind.
The sun was shining brightly outside and the street was bustling with people doing about their business. A steam tram drove through the street occasionally, picking up passengers as they stopped at the designated points.
Since it was warm outside, most people were dressed up lightly, including Gyanav. The morning street was filled with people wearing plain white shirts and a pair of cotton pants, while the ladies were wearing simple thin dresses, varying in colors, that swayed beautifully as they walked.
Gyanav waited at a designated spot that was marked with a pipe that had a red light at the top for a tram to stop. There were six other people waiting for him, and another person was carrying her cat inside a carrier.
"Woof! Woof!" Alfie was staring excitedly at the beautiful animal inside the handheld carrier, curiously wanting to see it closer.
"Hiss!!" the cat, seemingly uncomfortable in the presence of the beast, hissed loudly and stuck its paw out, trying to claw the poor dog.
"Sorry, she doesn't like dogs," said the woman apologetically. Her eyes were looking at Alfie worriedly.
"No problem. It's Alfie's fault anyway, so I should be the one apologizing," replied Gyanav politely.
"Woof!"
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The sound of the bell was heard as the tram approached. It then swiftly stopped right in front of Gyanav and the other waiting people, who got on after several other people had gotten off. The young man and his dog sat at the very back in order not to disturb the other passengers.
"Alfie, I know you want to play, but you shouldn't bother others like that," he said sternly, disciplining his pet as the tram drove away.
"Whine..."
Hearing his master's tone, Alfie folded his ears and looked down guiltily. He knew he had done something bad to make master angry.
"Come here you silly thing. I can't stay mad at you if you do that, can I?"
Gyanav gave the dog a face scratch, which made him instantly return to his cheerful self. His tail was wagging around again in excitement.
The two of them looked outside, presented with the view of the city. Although it was not the safest, it was still a beautiful city. Pipes and steams were running across walls, while the cobblestone street beneath them looked brownish and classic, providing a beautiful contrast. Trees lined up on the sides of the road, giving shelter from the warm sunlight to those in need.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
After making several stops, finally, the tram stopped at Gyanav's destination; the temple. The tram was a subscription-based service, so he didn't have to pay again. He just had to show his card to the driver and then got off.
Standing on the side of the road, Gyanav and his dog looked at the majestic building in front of them.
The temple was a tall building with humongous pipes surrounding it, sending steams of different colors to the sky. Those steams were created from a ceremony that was happening inside the towering building.
"Alfie, we're here. Are you ready?" Gyanav's nervousness began surfacing.
"Woof! Woof!"
He really hoped he could get a Vocation because otherwise, he wouldn't be able to realize his dream. With a Vocation, he could venture outside the city wall to slay monsters and sell their body parts for money, and if he didn't get one, he would have to continue being a mere librarian, a job that he had had for a year now. The pay was terrible, although the job was easy and it gave him access to various useful information.
"Let's go!" he said after swallowing his saliva.
The young man walked with conviction into the temple, followed by his trusted, furry companion. Through the tall arch, he entered the building and was greeted by the smell of incense and essential oil. It was like the smell of wet wood and lavender being burned.
"I'm here to receive a Vocation," Gyanav said to the person waiting behind a reception desk.
The tall man wearing a complicated gown looked at the young man in front of him and nodded.
"Then please wait over there. I believe you already know the procedure, so I don't have to explain again," replied the man lazily.
Gyanav nodded.
"Remember, you only have one chance, and if you don't get any Vocation the first time around, you never will," reminded the tall man.
Gyanav nodded again, this time, more slowly. He gulped down his saliva and then sat at the bench.
There were two doors behind the reception desk on each side. Just after Gyanav sat down, someone came out of the door on the right side, looking dejected and down. He must be someone who had just tried to get a Vocation but failed, judging from his expression. It made Gyanav even more nervous.
The tall man looked at the young man with a dog and said, "You can enter now. Your dog can wait here,"
Nodding slowly, he walked towards the door on the man's left and tried to open it. The door was made of metal and had a complicated pattern on it. With all his strength, he pushed the door and it opened slowly.
He entered through the gap and when he was about to close the door, Alfie came charging at him.
"Woof! Woof!"
The dog managed to get inside!
Gyanav was now inside the chamber with Alfie! He didn't know what he should do since the door had been closed. He didn't want to risk failing just because he had to send his dog outside. Having no other choice, he had to proceed and start the process.
There was a circle on the floor with yet another complicated pattern, right in the middle of the cramped chamber that reeked of incense. Gyanav just had to stand in the middle of the circle and if he had the qualifications, he would be granted a Vocation. The process was that easy for tier one, but he heard that things would be more complicated for the higher tiers.
"Alfie, please, this is very important for me. Please wait outside the circle," he begged.
The dog sat and looked at his master excitedly. He didn't know what was happening, but he was happy to be with his master. He was panting while wagging his tail happily.
With his heart beating faster and faster, Gyanav walked towards the circle and stood there for several seconds. The circle around him then started glowing as he waited in expectation.
Suddenly, Gyanav felt a heavy pressure weighing him down! It felt suffocating and it was difficult for him to remain standing. Sensing his master's distress, Alfie quickly ran towards him and circled around him closely, comforting his master.
After several seconds, the pressure disappeared, along with the glow in the circle. Gyanav's forehead had a glowing mark on it, indicating that he had successfully received a Vocation. Knowledge of his Vocation had also been transferred to his brain.
"I did it, Alfie! I did it! I'm a... curse mage!" he said excitedly and confusedly. It was a Vocation that he had never heard of.
"Woof! Woof!!"
Gyanav looked down at his dog and was surprised beyond belief.
Alfie's forehead also bore a glowing mark!